Hope customer service gets another big thumbs up.
Our rear Big Un has been on the go for over 10 years on the tandem, where it understandably gets an awful lot of abuse. Just recently it’s failed to freewheel a few times, so stripped it to check. Found the toothed pawl ring in the hub was missing a good few teeth and looking pretty knackered.
A quick call to Hope and the wheel packaged up and sent in to have the toothed ring unscrewed from the hub and a new one fitted.
The day after Nick called to say we’d knackered the teeth so much, there was nothing left for their removal tool to locate on, so they couldn’t unscrew the pawl ring, which after a tandem team heaving on it is stupidly tight. He posted the wheel back and kindly explained how it all fitted together, and how I might be able to butcher it out, hopefully without damaging the hub shell threads.
So after a few hours with a Dremel, chisel and hammer, I got the pawl ring unscrewed, with no thread damage. Was pretty chuffed with myself, and Nick was clearly impressed (“good effort”, was his reply!), because when I called back he immediately offered to send me a new pawl ring and pawls free of charge. And they arrived today.
So thanks to Nick and Hope, our Big Un has another 10 years of life. Top kit and service to match.